Punjab Police arrest another YouTuber for alleged espionage ties with Pakistan's ISI

After YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra's arrest, the Punjab Police on Wednesday said that they have arrested another YouTuber namely, Jasbir Singh alias Jaan Mahal (41) from Rupnagar in Punjab. He was allegedly spying for Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and had connections with Malhotra. The duo was also seen at Pakistan's High Commission at New Delhi, police said.

Director General of Police (DGP) of Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, on Wednesday said Jaan Mahal has been operating a YouTube channel 'JaanMahal Video' with over 11 lakh subscribers, posting travel and cooking vlogs. Yadav said that the accused Jasbir Singh has been found associated with Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO) Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa, part of a terror-backed espionage network.

He maintained close contact with Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra-arrested for spying by the Haryana Police, and Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani national and expelled Pak High Commission official. He said investigations have revealed that Jasbir attended the Pakistan National Day event in Delhi on Danish's invitation, where he met Pakistani Army officials and vloggers.


"The accused has also travelled to Pakistan on three occasions, including in 2020, 2021 and 2024, and came in direct contact with ISI officers, who subsequently cultivated and recruited him to carry out espionage activities within India," he added.

The DGP said that after Jyoti Malhotra's arrest, Jasbir had attempted to erase all traces of his communication with these PIOs to avoid detection. Further investigations are underway to dismantle the broader espionage-terror network and identify all collaborators, he added.